Trio of Tavern Talent

by Jim Provenzano

Being a popular bartender takes a combination of skills;
efficiency, a friendly attitude and a lot of hard work. Fortunately, readers
voted in a rare three-way tie in our Besties this year. This trio of affable
bartenders shared a little about their lives behind the bar, and away from it.

Castro Classic

Many bartenders do more than pour drinks, and 440's Nick
Mills is no exception.

With two degrees in graphic design and animation, he still
does freelance work for many local nonprofits in the Bay Area. But although he
started bartending to pay for school, he now makes more by working in the
popular Castro bar.

Along with owner David Barker, Mills co-manages the 440 with
Randy Axon. "The three of us see to the day-to-day operations," he
said in our interview at the bar's office.

Fourteen years is a good run for any career, but Mills said
it's more than that at 400.

"We have the friendliest staff," said Mills.
"We really engage our customers and make them feel welcome. I think that
translates to the patrons feeling comfortable enough to engage with each
other."

An admitted mixed bar where older and younger men and women
are welcome, Mills cites the "no attitude" atmosphere.

Gracious in his co-win for Best Bartender (and a runner-up
last year), Mills credits his many local friends and patrons, but owned up to
his swift bartending skills after fourteen years in the business.

"I think I'm kind of a fixture at this point,"
Mills said. "I can pump out drinks like nobody's business. The customer
service part comes from my work in the corporate world," he added, of his
former retail job in phone store management. "Making people happy came
from that."

Mills' prior bar experience at several San Diego bars over four
years, and a few years in Los Angeles, led to his broad experience before
moving west from Logan, West Virginia.

"I was born a poor coal miner's daughter," he
joked, with a hint of an accent. "But I moved west as soon as
possible."

The Academy of Art was more of a draw for Mills' move to San
Francisco, although he admitted that the gay scene was part of his decision.

"I could be gay, and work in a gay bar, and put myself
through school, and not have to worry about being part of the corporate world,
or wearing khakis and a polo shirt to work every day," said Mills. "Now
I can wear what I want, say what I want, and talk about what I want. It's very
freeing, to be able to work in a gay bar in a gay neighborhood."

But Mills noted how the neighborhood is changing. "With
all the construction, the tech industry bringing in people and bombarding the
city with new and different people," he said. "I think a lot of the
guys who live here are worried how they're going to make a living and pay their
rent. Maybe people are clinging to the idea that the Castro is the last gay
spot in San Francisco. But it's not as desperate as the news might make it
seem. We're lucky, and we want to keep going, and make 440 the place people
want to come to."

Asked to name his favorite other bar in the world, Mills
mentioned the Bear's Den in Paris. "It's a tiny little hole in the wall,
until you find a staircase, which leads down and opens up into a giant cavern
of bears and bodies and dancing and music and booze, and it's great."

Until he gets back to Paris, you can find Nick at the 440, serving
your drink almost as fast as you order it.

Looking Out

Born in Oklahoma and raised in Southern California, Lookout
bartender Michael Breshears has lived
in San Francisco since 1995. His first local job serving drinks was at Moby
Dick on 18th Street. He's been working at The Lookout since 2008.

"My degree in International Relations from San
Francisco State has been very helpful in my line of work," said Breshears,
who's met customers from around the world.

Other reasons why he likes the bar include the view.

"It's obviously well-known for having the balcony
overlooking the streets below," he said. "It's also a pretty flexible
space, so it can accommodate all kinds of parties," including its pizza and
other menu items. "Different events are always happening there, and it
brings in different parts of the community. Everyone's coming through; all
kinds of DJs, different fundraisers, drag shows, pop-up kitchens, even the
occasional porn party. I like the variety."

Asked which drink is his favorite to make, Breshears joked, "My
first thought was 'a beer and a shot.' But I'm just happy making a good drink.
A lot of people really like my margaritas, so I make a lot of those."

His own preferences vary. "I switch my drinks around a
lot," he said. "I'm going through a big rum and cachaca phase right
now, but will get a drink for whatever fits a particular bar or setting."

Asked which day is his most fun shift to work, Breshears
said Jock Sundays are his favorite weekly party. Local sports teams fill the
bar and raise funds for their games and tournament trips.

But Breshears added, "Probably my favorite event in the
last few years has been the Santa Skivvies Run."

The annual SF AIDS Foundation event, a variation on east
coast Speedo Run fundraisers, draws hundreds of participants, with The Lookout
as the home base.

"It's gotten exponentially bigger in the last few
years, and the last one was definitely crazy," said Breshears. "Something
about red Speedos, Santa hats, and booze brings the boys to the yard."

And although such events like the Skivvies Run draw a
diverse crowd, for Breshears, working in a gay bar is different than other
places.

"Maybe it's cliché," he said, "but the sense
of working in a community is probably the biggest difference."

Gavin Thompson with gogo hunk Paul William at The Edge. Photo: Steven Underhill

Irish Ayes

With his enchanting Irish brogue and brassy-red hair, it's
no secret that bartender Gavin Thompson
hails from Ireland. But although he's only been in the U.S. less than four
years, he's no stranger to tavern life.

"My mom owns a bar back in Ireland, and I pretty much
grew up in it," said Thompson, who hails from the small Midlands town of
Athlone.

But a county pub and a Castro gay bar are worlds apart.

"It's very different," said Thompson, who is
straight. "To be honest, at the start, I didn't know how to act in a gay
bar. I didn't know that you could just be yourself. But eventually I realized
it's just the same, in a way. People are people, and they like to be treated
well and get a good drink."

Defining 'good' is debatable in some cases, and Thompson
attests that a comparison with some heartier Irish brews leaves U.S. beers "a
bit watery."

Being a cute straight guy working in a gay bar, Thompson
enjoys some attention from flirtatious patrons.

"I had no experience like this before," said
Thompson, who regularly pours drinks, often with nearly naked gogo guys
standing above him, and drag queens belting out or lip-synching show tunes. "I
only knew, like, two gay people before moving to San Francisco. I'm glad I work
here, because it's really opened up my eyes."

Thompson even checks out other gay bars locally and abroad,
and counted Chicago's Boys' Town as a good scene.

"I live in the Castro as well," he said. "I
like The Mix and 440. They've got the same kind of clientele and zero drama. It's
not like your're getting 21-year-olds who are drunk after one cocktail."

Currently pursuing a Business degree at City College,
Thompson said he'll be off to travel and return to Ireland in November. He'll certainly
be missed by his customers.

"There's a real sense of loyalty at the bar," said
Thompson. "After the remodel, we got most of the regulars back." He
mentioned some patrons who have on occasion brought him dinner and show
tickets.

"The Edge is definitely like a home away from home,"
he said. "It's really like a family, and they really look after you."